Hydro landing-base for aircraft.



H. KLECKLE R. HYDRO LANDING BAS E FOR AIRCRAFT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. 1916. 1 Y L28 6= Menteq 1m. 12, 19121 2 SHEET SSHEH H EN RY K LECKLER.

H. KLECKLER. HYDROHLANDING BASE FOR AIRCRAFT. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17. 1916.

1 ,2%,9U6 atented Nov. 12, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHE,EI 2.

avwemtoz HENRY KLECKLER.

/ WM e1 pair-an snares manna orrron HENRY KLECKLER, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'I'O CURTISS AEROIPLANE AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HYDRO LANDING-BASE FOR AIRCRAFT.

Specification of Letters l'atent.

Application filed November 1'7, 1916. Serial No. 131,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KLECKLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydro Landing-Bases for Aircraft, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in aircraft and has reference more particularly to an improved pontoon mounting-for hydroaeroolanes.

Inits preferred embodiment, the pontoonmounting may be generally described as comprising twin pontoons arranged, one dior cables which extenddirectly across from a pontoon to pontoon to interconnect the inside sockets of the respective A-braces; and outside diagonal tie wires which connect the outside sockets of the respective A-braces to the wings at points removed from the motor unit supports. Other peculiarities of construction will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

In describing my invention in detail, reference .will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an improved twin mwtored hydroaeroplane, a portion of the aeroplane wings and the tail end of the fuselage having been removed;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the machine; V

Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of one of the A-braces illustrating the through-connection at the foot thereof.

Twin pontoons. each designated in its entirety by the numeral 10. afford a water borne support for the machine. Upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings it will be noted that these pontoons 10 are located symmetrically at oppositesides of the longitudinal axis of the craft with their hydroplaning area approximately equally distributed both ahead of and aft of the transverse vertical plane of the center of gravity designated CG. f

Aeroplane wings 11, slightly staggered, extend intermediately across the fuselage, designated 12, to support the machine in flight. The upper wing 11 is preferably made up of connected panels, the center or engine section panel'of which extends laterally considerably beyond the sides of the fuselage 12. The engine section panel of the lower wing 11, unlike the upper engine section panel, comprises separate panel sectlons, arranged one at each side of the fuselage for lateral extension therebeyond. The outer extremities of the panel sections of the lower panel and the extremities of the upper panel terminate sufliciently distant from the fuselage 12 to provide for the arrangement of the pontoons 10 in the vertical plane of the outer terminals thereof; Wing posts 13 and motor supports 14: interconnect the wings.

To provide for a symmetrical distribution of the weight of the motor masses equally above the opposed pontoons, the motor units,-

each designated as an entirety by the numeral 15, are arranged intermediate the wings or planes directly above or in the vertical plane of the fore and aft axis of the pontoons.

While the foregoing arrangement may be considered preferred, it is to be understood and appreciated that the essential characteristic of the invention resides in the pontoon mounting; especially the relation of the pontoon struts to the engine bed supports 14. The supports 14 are V-arranged. They are founded upon the lower supporting surface in a manner such that they constitute in reality substantial continuations of the pontoon struts hereinafter more fully described. Accordingly, the opposed weight masses are located directly above the pontoons 10 as they should be.

The vertical supports for the pontoons underlie the panel section terminals. each support comprising longitudinally spaced A-braces 16 and forwardly located diagonal struts or braces 17. The legs of the A- braces are connected with the pontoons by Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

means of double-cared clips 18 and through bolts 19 which pass commonly through both connections, that is, secure both legs of the A- braces together. An effective brace of triangular form is thus produced. The motor supports 14 in connection with the A-braces constitute substantially X-arranged connections between the weight masses and the pontoons; the apices of the V-suppor'ts 14 contacting the lower supporting surface immediately above the point of contact of the A-braces 16 therewith. Moreover, an appropriately streamlined compression tube may be provided in connection with each through-bolt to effectually space the ear sockets and the legs of the A-braces apart.

From the apices of the front A-braces 16,

the diagonal struts 17 extend downwardly to the deck of the pontoons to take care of the alighting or landing strains. From the inside legs of the rear A-braces, lateral braces 20 extend diagonally inwardly to the fuselage for connection at the foot of fuselage posts (not shown). These braces, together with forwardly located diagonal braces 21 take care of lateral strains due to side-swipe in alighting. These latter diagonal braces 21 extend inwardly at an angle from the foot of the forwardly inclined vertical struts 17 to the fuselage.

Spreading of the pontoons is prevented by the utilization of transverse tie cables or wires 22 which extend directly across from pontoon to pontoon and interconnect the inside sockets of the braces 16 in pairs. Even greater pontoon rigidity is obtained by the provision of outside diagonal tie wires 23 which connect the outside sockets of the A-braces to the lower wings at the foot of adjacent wing posts 13.

From the arrangement disclosed, a. symmetrical pontoon mounting is provided. Direct compression stresses ,in alighting or landing are taken up by the vertical sup-.

ports 17 and stresses due to side-swipe by the bnaces 20 and 21 and tie wires 22 and 23. All landing stresses are uniformly distributed throughout the machine and the concentration of the total stress onto one ontoon at a given point avoided. By utiizing a through-bolt and, compression tube at the foot of each A-brace a spreading of the legs cannot under any circumstances occur.

While in the foregoing there has beenillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification such combination and arrangement of elements as constitute the preferred construction or embodiment 'of the invention, it is nevertheless desired to emphasize the fact that interpretation of theinvention should only be conclusive when made in the light of the subjoined claims.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a hydroaeroplane, aeroplane wings,

a fuselage, twin pontoons arranged beneath the aeroplane wings symmetrically 'at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the machine, braces extending inwardly diagonally from the opposite pontoons for connection with the fuselage, vertical A-braces for' each pontoon, and through-connections for the A- brace legs.

2. In a hydnoaeroplane, aeroplane wings including engine section panels mounted to extend intermediately across the fuselage for termination laterally considerably beyond the sides thereof, twin pontoons, A-braces interconnecting the pontoons and the lowermost aeroplane wing in the plane of the engine section panel terminals, diagonal struts extending forwardly from the apices of the foremost A-braces to the pontoons, and diagonal braces extending laterally inwardly respectively from the foot of the inside leg of the rear A-brace and from the foot of the verging struts founded upon the aeroplane or supporting the motor units, landwings ing devices mounted beneath the aeroplane wings, and upwardly converging struts founded upon the aeroplane wings for supporting the landing devices, the points of attachment of the upwardly converging struts with the aeroplane wings and the points of attachment of the downwardly converging struts with the aeroplane Wings being alined.

1. In an aircraft, a fuselage, aeroplane wings extended intermediately across the fuselage, power units mounted intermediate the aeroplane wings symmetrically at opposite sides of the fuselage, downwardly convergin struts founded from the aeroplane wings or supporting the motor units, landing devices mounted beneath the aeroplane wings, and upwardly converging struts founded upon the aeroplane wings for supporting the landing devices, the struts at opposite sides of the fuselage forming collectively substantially X-br-aces, the wings intersecting said braces at the points where the struts are crossed. 1

. 5. In an aircraft, aeroplane wings extended intermediately across the fuselage, the wings in each instance comprising connected panels, power units mounted intermediate the aeroplane wings symmetrically at opposite sides of the fuselage, downwardly converging struts founded upon the aeroplane wings for supportingthe motor units, the points of attachment of the struts with said aeroplane wings being at the outer extremities of the central panel, landing devices mounted beneath the aeroplane wings, the

longitudinal axes of the landing devices and the longitudinal axes of the motor units lying in the same longitudinal vertical plane, and upwardly converging struts founded upon the aerOplaI 1e wings for supporting the landing devices, the points of attachment of the upwardly converging struts With the aeroplane devices ,being vertically alined A with the points of attachment-0f the downwardly converging struts therewith,

6. 'In a hydroaeroplane, a fuselage, aeroplane wings extended intermediately across the fuselage, twin pontoons mounted beneath the aeroplanes, braces interconnecting the pontoons and the lowermost aeroplane Wing, diagonal struts extending forwardly from the aeroplane wings to the pontoons, and diagonal braces extending laterally inwardly respectively from the foot of the braces and from the foot of the diagonal strut to the fuselage. 1

'Z. In a hydroaeropla'ne, aeroplane Wings mounted to extend intermediately across the fuselage, pontoons, an A-brace interconnecting the pontoon with that portion of the craft directly above it, and means extending across the top of the pontoon for connecting both legs of the A-brace, said means functioning conjointly as a cross brace and fastening means for the A-brace.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. HENRY KLECKLER. 

